I'm in Fairbanks! I have a lack of internet at the cabin right now, and I've spent most of the last few days driving around town running errands. I'm already starting to feel like I know where things are located, and Steph and I figured out hauling water, taking showers, etc. More on the dry cabin lifestyle later – today I want to share the beauty of my new home.

My cabin is located northwest of the city of Fairbanks, and it's a bit of a drive to get to from campus. It's a beautiful drive, however, winding through birch and black spruce, up and down hills. It would look as though there was nothing there but forest, except for the mailboxes that line the road, and the sometimes nearly hidden gravel driveways you might peek down to find evidence of human life. The road is paved most of the way, until just a short stretch before turning onto Richard Berry Dr. and the steep, downhill driveway which I will be sharing with my landlord, Doug, and his family once they finish their new house.

Here's the technical stuff, for those who are wondering: The cabin itself is 20' x 20' with a loft that is half the size of the downstairs area. I'm used to a lot less room than this, so right now it feels like an exceptionally large amount of space for just me. The kitchen has full appliances, lots of cupboard and counter space, and vinyl floors. The rest of the room and the loft are carpeted, and there are plenty of windows, so it gets nice and sunny inside (at least now, while the sun is up most of the day). I even have a beautiful cedar deck to sit on when the weather's nice. Speaking of weather, Doug tells me it stays warmer up here than on campus, sometimes by as much as 20 degrees. I'm looking forward to this. (I'll try to put up some pictures of the inside of the cabin later. I am currently still unpacking, so it's a pretty big mess right now.)

The cabin's got all the normal conveniences – electricity, heat, phone, internet, etc. – minus running water. To make up for this, of course, I have: the outhouse! I'm pretty proud of this little hut. Doug put it in brand new for me, with a foam seat (much warmer than wood in the winter), and he has plans to add electricity and pretty it up with a moon and stars cut in the door. The sink in my kitchen also drains to the outside on its own, so I don't have to carry out a slop bucket. For a dry cabin, it's pretty fancy really. This, coupled with the possibility of my landlord being the absolute best landlord in the entire world, satisfies me. I am already starting to love it here.